Fur inspection device



June 24, 1941. c, c, so 2,247,211

FUR INSPECTION DEVICE Filed April 1, 1940 BY C/zarlea 72 0M ATTORNEY.

' which may be of any appropriate type.

Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '8 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for usein 1 inspection of fur coats and other garments or articles of fur, including artificial fur and other similar material. The invention has in view more especially the detection of minute rips in fur garments. Small rips in fur garments and exceedingly difficult to detect, to the extent that in the process of cleaning such garments dammage is ofen done in the tumbling operation by enlargement of rips which if they had been detected would have been mended before cleaning. To provide for convenient and efficient inspection of fur garments, in a manner which will easily reveal minute rips, I have devised a means comprising an inspection table with associated equipment of which an illustrative example is shown in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the illustrative inspection table.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are designated by similar reference numerals.

The illustrative table l; upon which a fur garment or portion thereof to be inspected may be spread out or laid fiat, with the lining or inner side of the garment in contact with the supporting surface of the table, includes a smooth-surfaced transparent portion provided by the glass plate 2 fitted in an opening therefor in the table and supported in fixed relation to the table in any suitable manner. A metal frame for the glass plate is designated by the numeral 3. As a matter of economical construction, the glass plate may be rigidly affixed vto and supported from the frame 3 by means of lugs depending from said frame and engaging under the edges of the glass plate, as indicated at d in Fig. 3. The entire supporting surface of the table is perfectly smooth except for the slight ridges formed by the frame 3, which are preferably smoothly rounded to avoid presentation of any abrupt edges to the garment being handled on the table.

'Seams of fiat portions of the garment are examined on the glass plate 2 for detection of rips, which are revealed by illumination of interstices by light projected through the glass plate from subjacent illuminating or light source means, In this instance illuminating means is represented by a plurality of elongated luminous elements 5, which may be, for example, electric lamps either of the fluorescent or incandescent type; electric lamps of the fluorescent type are preferred as they are much cooler. The lamps may be housed in a box 6 attached to the under side of the table, the lamps and sockets or other proximate connections therefor being mounted in the lamp box in any suitable manner as well understood in the electrical art.

Afixed to and rising from the table is a hollow transparent sleeve holder 1, which may be a glass tube or cylinder rounded and closed at its upper end to prevent pulling or tearing the lining of a garment sleeve as it is slipped down over the holder. Within the holder is a suitable illuminating means, here represented by the elongated luminous element 8 which may be an electric lamp, either incandescent or fluorescent, the latter being preferred; the lamp socket or fixture being mounted in the box 9 attached to the lower end of the table. The lower end of the holder ll may be fitted suitably and supported in a hole in the table up through which the lamp extends.

For separating the hairs of the fur garment as it undergoes inspection, the table is equipped with a motor driven air blower having discharge connections whereby to deliver an air blast either upon the portion of the garment being examined over the glass plate 2 or upon or against the sleeve or other portion of the garment being examined on the glass sleeve-holder 7. As represented in the drawing,. the blower is mounted over the table, being carried by the supporting post or standard ill which is rigidly affixed to and rises from the rear portion of the table. The blower may be either of the single fan unit or plural fan unit type. A single fan unit type of blower is shown for illustration. In the drawing, l2 designates the blower casing, E3 the fan (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3), and it the casing of the electric motor on the shaft of which the fan is affixed. The .motor casing may be unitary with the blower casing, and the blower may be supported from the post ID by mounting the motor casing on the arm ll thereof and fastening it thereto by any suitable attaching means. Air is drawn into the motor casing through suitable air inlet openings and discharged through the forwardly and downwardly extending spout I5, shown formed with an elongated nozzle l6 arranged directly over the glass plate 2 at'a suitable distance above the fan to permit convenient handling and inspecr tion of the garment under theblower spout.

swinging flap or door equipped with a spring.

clip I 9 or other suitable latch for engaging the catch 20 on the blower nozzle. The door l8 may be closed to cut oil discharge of air from the a blower nozzle, and thus ,to cause discharge through the rubber hose, the latter being otappropriate length to permit it to be manipulated for blowing air upon the sleeve or otherportion. of the garment on the sleeve holder I. ,When

the rubber hose is not in use, it may be hung up as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by engaging the discharge end of the hose with a book 2! on the blower casing.

The circuit connections (not electric lamps 5 and 8 and for the electric motor which operates the electric blower may be of any appropriate character. Circuit wires for said lamps and blower may be contained in flexible cords to be plugged into wall sockets for making electrical connections with a house wiring circuit. The table may be equipped with suitable switches (not shown) for controlling the lamps and. electrical circuits, or for turning on and oh the lamps and the electric motor at will.

In using the table, a fur garment to be inspected is spread out and placed upon the table hairy side up. The garment seams in the flat portions of the garment are examined over the glass plate 2, the seamed portion of the garment being moved along the table over said plate. As the garment is moved along over the plate, its hairs are separated or parted for exposure of the seam by the air blast discharged upon the garment from the blower nozzle, and any minute tips in the garment seams are revealed by illumination of the seam interstices from the subjacent illuminating means 5. Seams of garment sleeves, shoulders or other curved portions of the garment are examined on the interiorly illuminated transparent support provided by the holder I, which is of appropriate form and height to permit slipping a garment sleeve over it and to hold the sleeve as if it were on the arm of a person. While inspecting the sleeve or other portions of the garment on the holder 1, the discharge nozzle of .the blower is closed by the closure I8, and the hose I! is detached from its supporting hook and manipulated or held in appropriate position for blowing air against the sleeve or portion of the garment on the holder I. The

hose may be moved up and down to blow air along the length of the sleeve on the holder 7.

It will be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the specific embodiment selected for illustration, which may be modified as to details of construction and ar- .15 shown) for the,

with the garment,a support for said member and illuminating-means, and means carried by said support for blowing, air against the hairy side of.said garment portion held on said translucent m mb r;

2. A device for use in inspecting fur garments comprising anelongated luminous member, a translucent. tube enclosing said luminous member and on-which, may be held a fur garment sleeve on which a seamed portion of a fur garment may be placed with its hairy side up, said table providing a supporting area much larger than and surrounding said translucent portion, illuminating meansmounted under said translucent portion, and an air blower mounted over said table and arranged for blowing air downwardly upon the hairy side-of the, garment portion supported on said translucent portion of the table.

4. A device for use in inspecting fur garments comprising a table having a translucent portion on which a seamed portion of a fur garment may be placed with its hairy side up, illuminating means mounted under said translucent portion, a translucent tubular garment sleeve holder aflixed to and rising from said table, illuminating means in said holder, and means mounted over said table for blowing air downwardly upon the hairy side of said garment portion on said translucent portion of the table and for blowing air against the garment sleeve on said holder, said table providing a relatively large unobstructed garment. supporting area around said a translucent portion and substantially extending rangement to suit different requirements and conditions.

The term translucent in the following claims is used in a sense denoting either transparency or sufiiciently high translucency for the purpose beyond both ends thereof and around the base of said translucent sleeve holder.

5. A device for use in inspecting fur garments comprising a table having a translucent portion on which a seamed portion of a fur garment may be placed with its hairy side up, illuminating means mounted under said translucent portion, a translucent tubular garment sleeve holder afiixed to and rising from said table, illuminating means in said holder, and means mounted over said table for blowing air downwardly upon the hairy side of said garment portion on said translucent portion of the table and for blowing air against the garment sleeve on said holder, said means comprising a motor driven rotary fan blower having a downwardly extending discharge spout with its discharge opening directly over said translucent portion of the table and having a flexible hose connected with said discharge spout and means for cutting ofi' discharge from said opening and causing discharge through said hose, the hose being manipulatable for discharging an air blast against the garment sleeve on said holder.

6. A device for use in inspecting fur garments comprising a table having a translucent tubular garment sleeve holder rising therefrom, illuminating means in said holder, and means carried by said table for blowing air against the garment sleeve on said holder.

'7. A device for use in inspecting fur garments therealong while inspecting a seam thereof over comprising a table embodying a relatively long and na'rrow translucent plate, said table provlding a supporting area much larger than and surrounding said plate whereby a fur garment placed inside down on the table can be pulled therealong, while inspecting a seam thereof over said plate, illuminating means arranged underand adjacent to said plate for illuminating the seam under inspection, a standard rising from said table behind and a substantial distance from said plate, and a blower carried by said standard having a downwardly directed elongated discharge spout arranged over and longitudinally of said plate for blowing air against the'hairy side of the portion ofthe garment being inspected on said plate.

8. A device for use in inspecting fur garments comprising a table embodying a relatively long and narrow translucent plate, said table providing a supporting area much larger than and surrounding said plate whereby a fur garment placed inside down on the table can be pulled said plate, illuminating means arranged under and adjacent to said-plate for illuminating the seam under inspection, a translucent tubular garment sleeve holder aiiixed to and rising from said tables substantial distance from and beyond one end oi said plate and sufliciently back from the front edge or the table to leave a wide unobstructed garment supporting area between said end of said plate and the corresponding end of said table, a standard rising from said table behind and a substantial distance from said plate, and a blower carried by said standard having a downwardly directed elongated discharge spout arranged over and longitudinally of said plate and having a flexible hose connected with said discharge spout and means for cutting oil discharge from said spout and causing discharge through said hose, the hosebelng manipulatable for discharging an air blast against the garment sleeve on said holder.

CHARLES C. SOLK. 

